City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 5.8% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $105,800 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC and $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Greenville, SC to Harrisburg, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,780 in Harrisburg | $94,536 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
52 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Greenville → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $77,160 | $72,944 (+20.2%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $109,470 | $103,489 (−15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $76,510 | $72,330 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $96,770 | $91,483 (+12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.